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Fallathia
In eastern Ivellea lies Fallathia. It is also known as the Veiled Wedge, as it is situated on a forested plateau overlooking most of Ivellea; a plateau forming a wedge into the Dimberg mountains. Oftentimes, Fallathia is covered in a soft, gentle mist that rarely dissipates until the afternoon. These lands rest in the shadow of the Dimberg mountains, but despite its serene appearance, it is Ivellea's most dangerous region. Barbarians come down from the mountains very often, looting, pillaging and taking away whatever, or whoever, they can carry. More than one young maiden has been taken from her home in this manner. The most important town in the region is Fallathern, whose stout walls have withstood many a barbarian siege. Fallathern Fallathern is a small town surrounded by lush forests on the north, and a tall, steep cliff forming the back of it. A waterfall drops from atop the cliff, and runs in three canals through the town; one down the center, one along the east wall, and one along the west wall. Around 150 meters of forest has been cleared around the fortress on all sides, and a deep ditch surrounds it. The walls of the city are tall and sturdy, and additionally built with wooden walls and a roof to safeguard archers from enemy arrows. Travellers from the east who enter the city will enter a quite well kept town; ahead of them is the town square, where merchants of all sorts hawk their wares. Houses in the town are built from wood; most houses near the walls appear lightly damaged by fire; the exceptions look either new or have new materials used to patch over broken parts of old. Its most prominent structure is the town hall, built from wood older than the forest around the city. Interestingly, the outer quarters of the city are largely abandoned, with only the poor, the brave and the foolish choosing to live within range of barbarian arrows. The inner circle of the city is the most populated one, where merchants, the town hall and the inn are located. It serves as the governmental center of the region, taking care of troop movement, taxes and of course maintaining Ivellea's part of the Fallathian Pass into Adrila. Region Further around Fallathia, it's easy to tell where the barbarians have been and have not been of late. Several small villages are scattered throughout the forests, and those recently plundered are usually in the process of rebuilding burnt down houses. The woods serve the villagers as refuge during raids, as they know the lands better than the barbarians and can find their way to caves and hidden away gorges without the barbarians ever realising where they went. As such, most Ivelleans residing here are excellent hunters and woodsmen, though farmers, smiths and other common professions are widely represented as well. Regarding Fallathia's nature, there are many small gullies and gorges running through the landscape, and the oak is the most common tree in the region. While the gullies are common, it's not difficult moving around off the road, but getting lost is very easy. There are also several brooks running down from the Dimberg mountains and gathering slowly together on their way towards the sea, far away. During winter, it's very usual for Fallathia to see snowfall, and although it rarely has heavy snowfalls, rocks can be slippery, and a seemingly safe blanket of snow can hide a slippery patch of mud. Travellers from Ivellea heading east to Adrila will be in the lower regions of Fallathia at first, where the forest canopy is thick and heavy, forming a green roof above the road. The landscape is fairly plain here, but after leaving Fallathern the road will start ascending. As the air gets thinner, so too does the forest canopy, and the ground grows more and more rocky, forcing the oak trees to give way to the more adaptive birch tree. Near the ascent into the Fallathian Pass, the birches around the travellers will provide a comfortably bright green environment, together with hardy wildflowers. From there on, as the wind howls through the pass, Fallathia will no longer provide for the traveller. Peculiarities Among the peculiarities of Fallathia are the many mushrooms that are exclusive to the region. Fallathia is situated quite high in the mountains (relatively to the rest of Ivellea, anyway), and the oak forests offer excellent soil for the growth of the Hesarra and Cevia mushrooms. The Hesarra mushroom is well known across much of the Old World for its invigorating qualities, although these come at the drawback of leaving those consuming it lethargic after its effect wears off. The Cevia mushroom, on the other hand, is not as widely known, much thanks to its (practically speaking) less interesting tendency of boosting the consumer's sense of taste, to the point where even the air might be tasted. There are several other mushrooms growing in the gullies and dark gorges of the region as well, but the Fallathians are notoriously protective of their rarer mushrooms, and only the cunning and wise have been able to get information about them. Travel routes There are two main ways into Fallathia; both follow the Ji'Shun Highroad. In the east, the Fallathian Pass from Adrila serves as a moderately safe travel route, and is the most commonly used one by traders and caravans. This is described in the Dimberg Mountains section. To the west, Fallathia stops abruptly, with a great drop down to Damria, heartland of Ivellea. The Ji'Shun Highroad, while for the most part maintaining its original route, has had its way down altered considerably. There is little to see of the old road now; the newer road has been carved out through great toil, forming a winding descent of tunnels. The tunnels are made with excellent craftsmanship; although Ivellean stonecrafters carved it, masters from Oldgate in Adrila later were hired (whether King Arrendal knew of this or not remains unknown) to improve and reinforce the tunnels, making them into both an excellent way of going from Fallathia to Damria and something to see by themselves. The tunnel has windows along the way down, allowing an excellent view over the Ivellean heartlands, and on clear days even Elthern is visible far away. Category:The Other Side Category:Ivellea Category:Regions